Hoiberg on Kevin Ollie: 'I'm Proud to Call Him a Friend'

Add Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg to the long list of people who think Kevin Ollie is as classy a person as there is in the sport of basketball.

Hoiberg goes back a long way with Ollie. The two went on a recruiting visit to Arizona together way back in the day, and Lute Olsen said he'd take the first one who committed. Neither, obviously, did.

Hoiberg and Ollie were teammates on the Chicago Bulls in 2001-02. In recent days, they see a lot of each other on the recruiting trail.

"He's one of my all-time favorites, he's such a good guy, a good person, all about the right things," Hoiberg said. "He's gotten the most out of his abilities. He's such a good person, and in a league that has the perception of not having those types of personalities, he brings a positive light to the NBA becauxe of the type of kid he is."

"I'm proud to call him a friend."

Hoiberg and his coaching staff went over plenty of UConn film last night, and what they saw was eye-opening.

"The first thing, they're huge in the front line," the second-year ISU coach and former Cyclone star said. "With Oriakhi and Drummond, they're tough to score on in the paint. Roscoe Smith, who starts at the 3 at 6-foot-8, that's as big and long a front line as we've seen all year. And their guards are extremely quick and talented. They're a great team, and they're playing their best basketball of the season. It's gonna be a tough match-up, but I feel our guys are playing well right now."